Citizen Watch Company, Ltd.

Citizen Holdings Company, Ltd.

Yuichi Akiba

Takashi Akiyama

Masafumi Ide

Kanetaka Sekiguchi

Masami Kikuchi

Koji Nakagawa

Takashi Toida

Koichi Hoshino

Kozo Miyoshi

Katsumi Aota

Sachiko Kawada

Kazutoshi Muramatsu

Masafuni Ide

The invention is directed to the provision of a display panel in which, while providing a sufficient gap between two electrodes, the gap is made not easily visible. The display panel according to the invention includes: a first substrate having a first electrode and a second electrode formed on one and the same side thereof; a second substrate disposed opposite the first substrate; a gap formed between the first electrode and the second electrode; a backup electrode formed on the first substrate so as to overlap the gap; and a wiring electrode electrically connected to the first or second electrode, wherein the wiring electrode is formed in the same plane as the backup electrode.

Segmented display panel and camera with segmented display

In a display apparatus that has a polymer dispersed liquid crystal materialencapsulated in a gap between a completed first substrateand a completed second substrateby using a sealing memberand has a display region M and a peripheral region N in a region where the polymer dispersed liquid crystal materialis encapsulated, a wiring electrodehaving light shielding properties is provided in at least a part of the peripheral region N of the completed second substrate, and an ultraviolet ray transmitting portionthat transmits an ultraviolet ray therethrough is provided in the peripheral region where the wiring electrodeis provided. An ultraviolet ray is applied from the substrate side where the ultraviolet ray transmitting portionis provided to polymerize a monomer in the peripheral region N. The ultraviolet ray transmitting portion is formed of, e.g., a plurality of small holes, and the small holes are dispersedly arranged at equal intervals.

Display device having ultraviolet ray transmitting small holes included in a wiring electrode disposed in the peripheral region of the display but not where a seal member is disposed

A timepiece provided with a liquid crystal display panel () for displaying thereon at least one of time information () and calendar information (), wherein a solar battery unit () is provided to face at least a part of a visual recognition side surface of the liquid crystal display panel () or an opposite-side (lower-side) surface thereof, the light being applied to a power generation portion of the solar battery unit () through a transmission portion of the liquid crystal display panel () to generate electric power or what is displayed on the liquid crystal display panel () being visually recognized through a transmission portion of the solar battery unit (), a timepiece circuit and the liquid crystal display panel () being driven by utilizing the electric power generated by the solar battery unit ().

Liquid crystal display device

A watch unit having a time-displaying section, including a reflection-type polarizing filmdisposed on an upper portion or a lower portion of the time-displaying section or a portion comprising a part of the time-displaying section, an optical modulation section which varies the ratio of a transmission axis to a reflection axis of the reflection-type polarizing film, and a shutter function to shield a portion of or all of the watch unit having the time-display section by varying the reflection intensity and the transmission intensity in relation to the light incident direction using the reflection-type polarinzing filmand the optical modulation section, to enhance the appearance and to improve the versatility of the watch unit.

Time piece with power generation function

A liquid crystal display device is structured in such a manner that plural of liquid crystal display panels each comprised of a liquid crystal layer provided between a pair of transparent substrates which have electrodes disposed on each facing inner surface, and a reflection-type polarizing film is disposed at least on the top surface of the plural liquid crystal display panel, or between the liquid crystal display panels, or on the lowest surface of the plural liquid crystal display panel. By controlling a reflection state and a transmission state through the reflection-type polarizing film with electric voltage applied on the liquid crystal layer of the liquid crystal display panel, a display which represents the opening and closing of a metallic shutter is made possible.

Liquid crystal display

A timepiece, in which a first liquid crystal display panel and a second liquid crystal display panel, each of which is constituted by sealing a liquid crystal layer in a gap between a pair of substrates formed with electrodes on opposed inner faces thereof respectively, are arranged in a case body having a cover glass with at least portions thereof overlapping, a first polarizing film is provided on an upper substrate of the first liquid crystal display panel on the cover glass side, a second polarizing film is provided between the first liquid crystal display panel and the second liquid crystal display panel, and a third polarizing film is provided on the lower side of a lower substrate of the second liquid crystal display panel respectively, the second polarizing film being a reflection type polarizing film, the first polarizing film, the first liquid crystal display panel, and the second polarizing film constitutes an upper display portion, and the second polarizing film, the second liquid crystal display panel, and the third polarizing film constitutes a lower display portion, so that at least the lower display portion performs display on the time.

Timepiece including multiple liquid crystal displays

A watch unit having a time-displaying section, including a reflection-type polarizing film disposed on an upper portion or a lower portion of the time-displaying section or a portion comprising a part of the time-displaying section, an optical modulation section which varies the ratio of a transmission axis to a reflection axis of the reflection-type polarizing film , and a shutter function to shield a portion of or all of the watch unit having the time-display section by varying the reflection intensity and the transmission intensity in relation to the light incident direction using the reflection-type polarinzing film and the optical modulation section, to enhance the appearance and to improve the versatility of the watch unit.

Timepiece

The liquid crystal display device comprises a liquid crystal cell with liquid crystals sealed thereinbetween, sandwiched between two transparent substrates having an electrode on each of the inner surfaces thereof facing each other, an absorption-type polarizing film disposed on the visible side of the liquid crystal cell, a reflection-type polarizing film disposed on the side of the liquid crystal cell, opposite from the visible side. The absorption-type polarizing film is a polarizing sheet absorbing a light linearly polarized in the direction orthogonal to the transmission axis thereof while the reflection-type polarizing film is a polarizing sheet reflecting a light linearly polarized in the direction orthogonal to the transmission axis thereof. A light reflection film or a color filter may preferably be disposed under the reflection-type polarizing film. Further, a light diffusing layer or a light diffusing film may preferably be disposed on the visible side of the absorption-type polarizing film.

A timepiece according to the invention is provided with a liquid crystal display panel capable of displaying at least either of time information or calendar information, and the liquid crystal display panel comprises a liquid crystal cell with liquid crystals sealed thereinbetween, sandwiched between two transparent substrates having an electrode on each of inner surfaces thereof facing each other, polarizing sheets disposed on the external surface of the respective substrates, and a light absorption film disposed on the side of one of the polarizing sheets opposite from the liquid crystal cell. For each of the polarizing sheets, a sheet reflecting the light linearly polarized in the direction orthogonal to the transmission axis thereof is used so that either of a background or a display segment is displayed in a metallic color while the other is displayed in the color of the light absorption film. Thus, the invention provides a timepiece (watch or clock) capable of indicating display that is attractively variable in design.

Liquid crystal display panel for using in a timepiece comprising reflective polarizers and absorption film

A timepiece is provided with a liquid crystal display panel (,) capable of displaying at least either of time information and calendar information, and comprising a liquid crystal cell having a liquid crystal layer sealed in between a pair of transparent substrates, having an electrode on each of the inner surfaces thereof, facing each other, an absorption-type polarizing film disposed on the visible side of the liquid crystal cell, for absorbing the light linearly polarized in the direction orthogonal to the transmission axis thereof, a reflection-type polarizing film disposed on the side of the liquid crystal cell opposite from the visible side thereof for reflecting the light linearly polarized in the direction orthogonal to the transmission axis thereof, and a color filter disposed on the visible side of the absorption-type polarizing film, or between the absorption-type polarizing film and the reflection-type polarizing film.

Watch

The liquid crystal display device comprises a liquid crystal cell with liquid crystals sealed thereinbetween, sandwiched between two transparent substrates having an electrode on each of the inner surfaces thereof facing each other, a first reflective polarizing film disposed on the visible side of the liquid crystal cell, a second reflective polarizing film disposed on the side of the liquid crystal cell, opposite from the visible side, and a light absorption film disposed on the side of the second reflective polarizing film, opposite from the visible side. The first reflective polarizing film as well as the second reflective polarizing film is a polarizing sheet reflecting a light linearly polarized in the direction orthogonal to the transmission axis thereof. A light absorption film and/or a backlight may preferably be disposed under the second reflective polarizing film. Further, an absorption-type polarizing film or a light diffusion layer may preferably be disposed on the visible side of the first reflective polarizing film.

Liquid crystal display device with two reflective polarizers providing metallic appearance effects

A method of manufacturing a thin film diode incorporated in a liquid crystal display, comprising a lower electrode connected with a signal electrode, an anodic oxidation film formed on the surface of the lower electrode, and an upper electrode formed so as to overlie the lower electrode via the anodic oxidation film and connected with a pixel electrode. The thin film diode is fabricated by forming a lower electrode material film made of a tantalum nitride film on a substrate, forming the lower electrode and the signal electrode by means of etching the lower electrode material film, forming the anodic oxidation film made of a tantalum oxide film on the surface of the lower electrode by means of the anodic oxidation treatment applied thereto, forming an upper electrode material film composed of a transparent and electrically conductive film on the entire surface of the substrate after an annealing applied in a vacuum, and forming the upper electrode and the pixel electrode by means of etching the upper electrode material film using a photoresist as an etching mask, after applying another annealing in a vacuum.

Growing community of inventors

Sakado, Japan

Yuichi Akiba